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372:, and used from that time into the 21st century supporting a wide variety of activities at the French Frigate shoals. During WW2 the airstrip provided an emergency landing for various aircraft, including a twin-engine transport aircraft that was close to ditching in the ocean with over 30 passengers but was able to land safely at the airport.
445:
in 1942 constructed the airfield. They built a 3,100-foot (940 m) x 275-foot (84 m) runway and a ramp area sufficient for 24 single-engine aircraft, dredging coral to expand the island. Of the 27-acre (11 ha) area of the expanded island, the airfield took up 20 acres (8.1 ha).
402:
During World War 2, the facilities included a barracks, radar tower, and fuel tanks as well as others buildings to support operations there. The station had parking spaces for 18-22 small aircraft at that time, and was a refueling stop between Midway and Hawaii.
31:
472:
with over 30 Marines lost one engine, and had to conduct an emergency landing at the airfield. The aircraft was losing altitude with one engine out, and was down to an altitude of about 200 feet when it was near.
484:) beacon tower on the island alongside a 20-man supporting facility. The Coast Guard used the airfield for a weekly mail-and-supply flight. The Coast Guard installation continued in operation until 1979.
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Many aircraft had to land at the airstrip during WW2 such a need for fuel, mechanical issues, or bad weather. Types of aircraft that landed at the base during the war include:
181:
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https://georgehbalazs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2012-Part-2-of-3-The-Coral-Carrier-French-Frigate-Shoals-A-History.-A.-Binion-Amerson-Jr.-Author-and-Publisher..pdf
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Panned-out view of the shoals, with the airfield in the lower part of the photo. Taken from the
International Space Station on July 4, 2022.
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399:. The runway is closed, except for emergencies, or with prior permission from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Previously, only seaplanes landed at the French
Frigate shoals lagoons or it had to be visited by boat.
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https://www.oha.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2013_Permit-Annual-Report_web.pdf
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https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/ternisland-tsd.pdf
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After WW2 until the 1960s it was also used for flights for commercial fishing.
30:
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508:
Map showing the location of French
Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian island chain
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that swept clean Tern Island, and the Navy closed the naval air facility.
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In 2010 there were 11 flights to the French
Frigate Shoals airstrip.
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During WW2 reconnaissance flights were flown from the base each day.
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705:"U.S. Coast Guard aircrew rescues 10 from French Frigate Shoals"
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by the FAA but has no designation from the IATA (which assigned
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554:
549:
539:
534:
865:
List of volcanoes in the
Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain
603:. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 29 July 2010.
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In 2009 the islands were evacuated during the approach of
391:
surface measuring 3,000 by 200 feet (914 x 61 m) at an
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Although many U.S. airports use the same three-letter
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Buildings and structures in
Honolulu County, Hawaii
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614:"HFS / ESOH - Hagfors Airport, Hagfors, Sweden"
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680:"French Frigate Shoals Naval Air Facility"
364:The airfield was completed in 1943 by the
18:
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634:
632:
630:
521:List of aircraft that utilized Tern (WW2)
324:Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge
745:French Frigate Shoals Naval Air Facility
448:Naval Air Facility French Frigate Shoals
760:USCG Video of the C-130 landing on Tern
668:Page 105 on The Coral Carrier by Binion
581:
320:United States Fish and Wildlife Service
749:Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields
383:French Frigate Shoals Airport has one
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446:The Navy designated this airfield as
7:
14:
840:
456:1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake
427:
415:
187:
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29:
480:built a Long Range Navigation (
264:Federal Aviation Administration
99:
105:U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1:
860:Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
812:French Frigate Shoals Airport
596:FAA Airport Form 5010 for HFS
273:French Frigate Shoals Airport
195:French Frigate Shoals Airport
23:French Frigate Shoals Airport
754:Airport information for PHHF
1116:Pohakuloa TA (Bradshaw AAF)
341:, this airport is assigned
1229:
498:on Tern's coral airstrip.
452:Naval Station Pearl Harbor
1067:NAS Barbers Point–Rodgers
849:
838:
802:
616:. Aviation Safety Network
478:United States Coast Guard
260:
227:
224:
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43:
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395:of six feet (2 m) above
387:designated 06/24 with a
1104:JB Pearl Harbor–Hickam
832:Two Brothers Shipwreck
517:
509:
155:23.86972°N 166.28472°W
1198:French Frigate Shoals
1046:French Frigate Shoals
807:French Frigate Shoals
796:French Frigate Shoals
515:
507:
422:The airfield in 1961.
318:. It is owned by the
304:French Frigate Shoals
160:23.86972; -166.28472
127:6 ft / 2 m
115:Tern Island (Hawaii)
822:La Perouse Pinnacle
331:location identifier
294:) is a private use
151: /
1203:Airports in Hawaii
1077:PMRF Barking Sands
1071:CGAS Barbers Point
709:CoastGuardNews.com
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494:by landing a USCG
450:, an auxiliary of
1185:
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981:Kapalua–West Maui
873:
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711:. 22 October 2009
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370:Naval Base Hawaii
322:, as part of the
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1097:MCAS Kaneohe Bay
1087:NALF Ford Island
1002:Kalaeloa–Rodgers
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470:Curtis Commando
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121:Elevation
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739:External links
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397:mean sea level
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686:on 2014-09-04
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476:In 1952, the
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316:United States
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1109:Hickam Field
1045:
935:Kona–Keāhole
855:Midway Atoll
811:
725:
713:. Retrieved
708:
699:
688:. Retrieved
684:the original
674:
663:
618:. Retrieved
608:
524:
500:
489:
486:
475:
467:
464:
458:generated a
447:
440:
401:
382:
374:
363:
346:
342:
328:
291:
280:
272:
271:
93:Airport type
52:
38:aerial image
1121:Wheeler AAF
1051:Princeville
1039:Private use
964:Non-primary
827:East Island
817:Tern Island
468:In 1944, a
308:coral atoll
300:Tern Island
158: /
146:166°17′05″W
133:Coordinates
1192:Categories
1092:MCB Hawaii
1082:Dillingham
1025:Port Allen
1020:Dillingham
690:2010-08-14
620:2009-08-30
576:References
379:Facilities
143:23°52′11″N
1152:Kaanapali
976:Kalaupapa
756:at AirNav
393:elevation
368:from the
221:Direction
1060:Military
995:Reliever
925:Honolulu
907:Airports
715:29 March
333:for the
262:Source:
228:Surface
1213:Seabees
1177:Stanley
1147:Haleiwa
1130:Defunct
1012:General
950:Molokai
930:Kahului
918:Primary
851:Region
460:tsunami
443:Seabees
407:History
366:Seabees
355:Hagfors
296:airport
225:Length
209:Runways
96:Private
88:Summary
16:Airport
1167:Kualoa
1157:Kipapa
911:Hawaii
545:PBY-5A
454:. The
385:runway
359:Sweden
312:Hawaii
244:3,000
241:06/24
111:Serves
1172:Morse
1030:Upolu
955:Lanai
940:Lihue
496:C-130
482:LORAN
389:coral
310:, in
251:Coral
101:Owner
36:USFWS
1162:Kona
1142:Ford
971:Hana
945:Hilo
717:2017
570:B-25
565:PV-1
441:The
339:IATA
337:and
306:, a
281:PHHF
277:ICAO
247:914
123:AMSL
64:PHHF
60:ICAO
53:none
49:IATA
1137:Ewa
909:in
747:at
600:PDF
560:R4D
555:R4C
550:R5O
540:F6F
535:F4F
530:SBD
361:).
353:in
349:to
347:HFS
343:HFS
335:FAA
302:in
298:on
292:HFS
288:LID
285:FAA
233:ft
171:Map
78:HFS
74:LID
71:FAA
1194::
707:.
647:^
629:^
584:^
357:,
326:.
314:,
290::
283:,
279::
236:m
76::
62::
51::
1073:)
1069:(
899:e
892:t
885:v
788:e
781:t
774:v
719:.
693:.
623:.
275:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
